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Contact
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330-8303
Phone: (818) 677-3356
Fax: (818) 677-2034
Email:biology.dept@csun.edu
Office Location:
Eucalyptus Hall 2102
Hours:
Mon-Fri: 8:00am-5:00pm
Randy W. Cohen
Professor
Ph.D. University of Illinois
email: randy.cohen@csun.edu
Phone: (818) 677-2352
Fax: (818) 677-2034
Office: Citrus Hall 3211
My laboratory investigates the physiological and biochemical effects that neurotransmitters have on the behavior of animals. There are two major lines of research:
The first line of inquiry is studying the deleterious effects of glutamate excitotoxicity in the central nervous system. Many human disorders are presumably caused by this phenomenon, including ischemia, Huntington's disease, and epilepsy. Using a rate model, showing an abnormal change in glutamate receptors in two brain regions (cerebellum and hippocampus), my laboratory focuses on the cause and effects of dysfunctional receptor systems. Specifically, what glutamate receptors types are involved in this widespread biomedical dysfunction? What roles do various intracellular molecules have in reducing or exacerbating this pheno-menon? The results of these studies will be useful in planning new neuro-protective strategies for victims of glutamate excitotoxicity.
Second, the role of various neuro-transmitters in the regulation of feeding behavior in insects. Specifically, what are the roles of neurotransmitters in insect feeding? Do they enhance or diminish food intake? Are specific nutrients influenced by concentrations of a par-ticular neurotransmitter? The results of these experiments should help decipher the complicated links between neuro-physiology and behavior, perhaps, revealing a less complex view of the ways that humans feed.
Representative publications:
2002. Cepeda, C., C.A. Crawford, J.E. Margulies, J.B. Watson, M.S. Levine and R.W. Cohen. Enhanced epileptogenic susceptibility in a genetic model of reactive synaptogenesis: The spastic Han-Wistar rat. Developmental Neuroscience 24:262-271.
2002. Cohen, R.W., H.D. Can* and D.A. Mahoney*. Possible regulation of feeding behavior in cockroaches by the neurotransmitter octopamine. Journal of Insect Behavior 15:37-50.
2001. Cohen, R.W. Diet balancing in the cockroach Rhyparobia madera: Does serotonin play a role? Journal of Insect Behavior 14:99-111.
1997. Cellular degeneration in the Han-Wistar rat hippocampus resembles kainate damage. Developmental Brain Dys-function 10:1-14. with C. Cepada, J.E. Miyashiro and M.S. Levine.
1996. Functional studies of single-site variants in the calmodulin-binding do-main of RC3/neurogranin in Xenopus oocytes. Neuroscience Letter 219:1-4. with J.E. Margulies, P.M. Coulter II and J.B. Watson.
1993. Functional consequences of expression of the neuron-specific, protein kinase C substrate RC3 (neurogranin) in Xenopus oocytes. Brain Research 627:147-152. With J.E. Margulies, P.M. Coul-ter II and J.B. Watson.
1991. Altered excitatory amino acid function and cerebellum morphology in the spastic Han-Wistar rat. Molecular Brain Re-search 11:27-36. with R.S. Fisher, T. Duong, V.W. Handley, A.T. Campagnoni, C.D. Hull, N.a. Buchwald and M.S. Levine.
1988. Physiological control of nutrient self-selection in Heliiothis zea larvae: The role of serotonin. J. of Insect Physiology 34:935-940. with S. Friedman and G.P. Waldbauer.